Admissions Policy 2017

1Introduction

As an Academy, the Governors are responsible for establishing the Admission Criteria and oversubscription criteria for the school; the Governors have agreed to follow the admissions and oversubscription criteria set by Cambs County Council. These criteria have not been changed by the Governing Body following the establishment of the Academy. The responsibility for the administration of the Admissions process remains with the Local Authority.

The advertised admissions limit for Sawtry Village Academy is 230.

1.2Please note that the address used for the purpose of admission is the child’s usual place of residence. Applications based on future addresses can only be considered up to 6 teaching weeks before the child is expected to take up the place and upon confirmation of tenancy or exchange of contracts with details of the proposed completion date. Parents are expected to notify the Academy of any changes of address as this may affect the allocation of a place. Further guidance on this issue is available from the Academy.

2Admissions into Year 7 for September

Catchment Area: Children living in the area served by the following primary schools fall within the catchment area:

  • Alconbury
  • Folksworth
  • Great Gidding
  • Holme
  • Sawtry
  • Stilton
  • Alconbury Weald following a decision by CCC to make SVA the catchment secondary school until the new secondary phase school is completed on the development

2.2In the event that applications to Sawtry Village Academy exceed 230, students will be allocated a place on the basis of the Academy’s published over subscription criteria (see point 4).

2.3 If you would like to enrol your child at Sawtry Village Academy for Year 7 September then please contact:

Alexander Brown Admissions Officer (Transitions)

BOX CC1206, Castle Court,

Castle Hill, Cambridge CB3 0AP

Tel: or 01223 699200 (for September starting students)

Email:

2.4Parents wishing to visit the Academy prior to making an application are welcome to do so. An Open Evening will be held in October for prospective year 6 students and one in June for year 5 students, details of which can be found on the Academy website.

2.5Visits during the Academy day are also available, by appointment only. However, such visits may not be possible to organise at short notice and it should be emphasized that such visits are not interviews and do not affect any decision regarding the availability of places. Please contact the Academy to make arrangements.

3In Year admissions

If you are applying for an In-Year place; i.e. you want a place at SVA for any student after a September start for a year 7, you must download an application form from the Cambs County Council website:

01223 699662 (for in-year admissions) Admissions Officer: Bettina Cuipa

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/info/20059/schools_and_learning/363/apply_for_a_school_place/6

4Over subscription

In the event that more than 230 applications are received, SVA follows the oversubscription criteria of Cambridgeshire County Council as set out below:

Children who have a statement of special educational needs that names the school will be admitted. NB. Those children with a statement of special educational needs that does not name the school will be referred to Student Assessment and Resources (STAR) Team to determine an appropriate place.

  1. Children in Care, also known as Looked After Children (LAC) and children who were looked after but ceased to be so by reason of adoption, a residence order or a special guardianship order;
  2. Children who live in the catchment area, attend primary schools within the catchment area and who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission;
  3. Children who live in the catchment area with a sibling at the school at the time of admission;
  4. Children who live in the catchment area who are attending the primary schools within it;
  5. Children who live in the catchment area;
  6. Children who live outside the catchment area, who are attending primary schools within it and who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission;
  7. Children who live outside the catchment area who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission;
  8. Children who live outside the catchment area who are attending the primary schools within the catchment area;
  9. Children who live outside the catchment area, but nearest the school as measured by a straight line.

4.2In cases of equal merit in each set of criteria, priority will go to children living nearest the school as measured by a straight line. The distance, for admissions purposes, is measured using the straight line distance from the centre point of the home to the main pupil entrance to the school. These distances are produced by the LA Admissions team for the school. The home address is defined as the address of the adult with parental responsibility with whom the child normally lives and which applies at the time of application.

4.3A full definition appears in the LA admission booklet for parents. All preferences are treated equally. For families who live outside the area covered by the Cambridgeshire mapping system, distances are determined using a combination of local maps and on-line resources.

4.4The application form must be returned to the LA Admissions Team who will then contact parents preferred schools to determine the availability of a school place. The Admissions Team will then write to confirm the details of the school at which a place is to be offered and, where appropriate, a suitable start date.

4.5Where the Admissions Team is unable to meet any preferences expressed a place will be offered at the next nearest alternative school with places available.

5Reserve Lists and Appeals

For transfer to secondary school, as part of the co-ordinated scheme for secondary admission, when an application is refused, the child’s details are automatically placed on a reserve list for the year group, ranked according to the oversubscription criteria. The LA Admissions Team holds this reserve list on behalf of the governing body until the end of the autumn term.

5.2Where an in-year application is refused the child’s details will be held on the reserve list for the appropriate year group, by the LA Admissions Team on behalf of the Governing Body for a period of one term following the term for which the place was refused.

5.3The parent of any child who is refused a place at the Academy has a right of appeal to an independent Appeals Panel. The school follows the published appeals procedure set out by the Local Authority.

Please go to:

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/info/20059/schools_and_learning/363/apply_for_a_school_place/8

Appeal forms are available on request from the LA Admissions team.

Governors (February 2016)

Leadership

This policy will next be reviewed in January 2017 for September 2018

Page 1 of 3 February 2016

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